LL is talking letter grades here, specifically as applied to the cleanliness of restaurants, markets, taverns, and other establishments slinging comestibles. Anyone who’s been to L.A. has seen a big block “A,” “B,” or even “C” posted prominently outside all food-serving establishments. (You don’t stay open with anything less than that.) The thinking goes that the public scrutiny forces restaurants to aim for a level of sanitation beyond the bare minimum.

Wash Hands Before Returning to Work

New proposals in the District would change how city restaurants are graded for cleanliness.

(Published Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009)

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh says she’s introducing a bill at tomorrow’s legislative meeting that would implement an L.A.-style system here. In a press release, Cheh points to a “definitive study” that “13.1 percent decrease in the number of foodborne-disease hospitalizations in Los Angeles County in the year following the implementation of the program.”

So is this a valuable consumer protection measure or creeping nannyism at a time when restaurateurs are facing economic hardship?